5 Shops to Bookmark ASAP

1. Made In Design - They've got everything, and everything is cute.

2. Alder & Co. - Sweet Frenchy-like home and style items.

3. Design Delicatessan - Can't read a thing on the site, but the wares look wonderful.

4. The Vitrine - Another shop dedicated to small production and handmade products. (I never get tired of these!)

5. Warby Parker - SO inspired by the mission of this company. For every pair of glasses + lenses they sell (all are just $95 each), they deliver one pair of glasses to someone in need. (Plus, their vintage-inspired frames are super-hot.) Go go go!

Image sources: Artecnica - Themis Quintet Mobile from Design Delicatessan; Felt Key Chains from Alder & Co.; OMHU Canes from The Vitrine

Bookmark 'em, Danno

5 shops you need to know:

1. Hammerpress: Smart letterpress selections. I really dig its American Flag series.

2. Carrie Strine at Big Cartel: Slammin' quilted pieces (which you should totally check out, because when have you ever read the words "slammin'" and "quilted pieces" in the same sentence?).

3. Nest Living: Y-E-S.

4. Adonde: Small selection of chic stuff.

5. Connox: Another cool design shop. Because you know that I.cannot.get.enough.

Image sources: Carrie Strine, Hammerpress, and Adonde.

5 Shops to Bookmark Immediately

1. Colette: Frenchie cool!

2. Spunique: Minimalist-y cool!

3. Pigr: Euro cool!

4. Silva Bradshaw: Bling-y cool!

5. Haus: Guaranteed-that-anything-you-buy-here-is-cool cool!

Image sources: pigr.it, spunique.com, colette.fr

What's your favorite writing tool?

My job as a Copy Director requires that I not only write words, but also edit and approve them. And that means that I am constantly armed with a red pen (it's my magic wand of sorts).

Now, I am a girl who can commit to a pen. In fact, a coworker was teasing me just the other day because my current red pen is pretty much on its last leg. But I will tell you this: that pen is going to be used as long as it can. And then I shall move on to a new pick that shall have to work just as hard and just as long. It shall!

As a replacement for the old pen, I am currently considering using an ACME pen I received from my friends Lucia and Matt as a thank-you for doing a photo project for their wedding last year (see that here). This pen is just lovely: it's called "QWERTY" (a nice nod to my writerly ways) and is designed by Michael Doret.

I am on the prowl for a red refill as we speak, and as I troll through the ACME website, I am learning that, holy cannoli, these are some sexy-ass pens! Several are designed by influential artists like Constantin Boym, Eva Zeisel, Stefan Sagmeister, Karim Rashid, and Pentagram Design. The best part? There's also a pen designed by Billy Dee Williams. And it is named "Lovers Pen." Because of course it is.

Oh! Lando!

Check out whole pen collection here (and fall back in love with Billy Dee here).